Saturday, March 14, 2015

Omerican Dream

The American Dream is essentially the thought that a person is free to progress throughout society both in a social and an economic fashion with the same privileges extended to them as are extended to all, thus mainly it encompasses the idea that no matter how high or low a person's socio-economic is, such a factor will not be a determinant of a persons future, for society will be made up of those with great merit and accomplishment  and can have social mobility as a result of those virtues. The complete definition of the American Dream can hence be identified as the idea that one can prosper in a society with no to little restrictions on social mobility. After WW1 the idea of cheap housing was becoming popular as an example of the American Dream, where everyone can have the ability to own property regardless of there background.

Wealth is a reservoir of any objects that holds significant meaning in society that are owned by a single entity be it man or organization. Wealth does not necessarily have to be in monetary form but can be considered in any form that has value attributed to it, thus this can even be coupled with the emotions of humans  since a person with a sophisticated wealth of knowledge can use such to influence his/her own decisions and as such this form of wealth as with all forms is capable to affect circumstances and can be gained over time. In terms of the American Dream wealth is what is gained as a result of the realization of the dream and it is the main factor that when increased promotes social mobility which in turn stimulates wealth and this continues in a cycle with a positive feedback loop , thus in simple terms wealth can be both the cause and result of the American Dream.

The view of wealth and poverty by Americans is puzzling when compared to what is desired in the American Dream. According to Teid Cramer of the New America Foundation, most Americans are willing to accept the existence of poverty and an increase in its growing rate as long as economic progress will result but of course he said that this was temporary and most Americans would like to see a decrease in the gap. This comment, assuming that it embodies the views of the American people, shows that progress of wealth is more valued that's poverty, and since wealth is what causes the actualization of the American Dream it shows an aspect of self-interest since if one has enough wealth in order to invest and increase there base wealth then they can move in social mobility, but the only way for this to happen is if there was economic progress, even if achieving this progress causes the poor to become more poor. Thus this desire to improve ones life cannot exist for all since any sort of increase on one side will have consequences on the other even if this includes the suppression of others development. Poor Americans on the other hand view the wealth as not as a source of power but rather oppression, for most people bellow the poverty have enough money to support there basic needs, and can barely save anything; this, however, according to Stuart Butler of Herotage Foundation, is partially a problem of the poor themselves for they choose whatever money they have left on lottery tickets and payday lenders rather than actually saving money, and so while the rich save and invest money to increase there wealth, the poor keep getting poorer and more indebt, thus making it hard for any possible mobility in socio-economic aspect of the world.

Omarx's..... I mean Omar's attitude towards wealth and poverty in relation to the American Dream, isquite depressing actually since the facts all lead to the... fact that the American Dream is a myth, in terms of logic it is impossible for every citizen to become prosperous and have great wealth without being hindered in some manner that would make any social mobility aspect impossible. Firstly in order for anyone to gain wealth then another must give up wealth. Wealth is  like the movement of water from a container to another it can move completely from one container to the other but cannot exist in both simultaneously without the acknowledgement that there will not be any increase in both containers of water. The flow of wealth verily works in a similar manner since people sell services or products for wealth, but that wealth obviously must come from other people this the constant redistribution of wealth is what keeps people alive, and as for poverty it exists due to the previous economic policy's of mankknds history that is filled with great injustice, so how can this be solved asks you...... Well I'll tell you.... Poverty rises from the greed and self interest of mankind as well as from indecisive decisions, thus the only way to solve this is with .....................……….………....................... wait for it ................................................................... niceness. Of people would help others and expect nothing in return.... Aka high interst rates.... then the economic status of the world will be so exceptional that economic progress won't even be a thing since humans have reached there limit........ thus the ultimate cause of poverty is human greed which can only be remedied if humans give up the want to be rich for it is truly illogical... money should only be used to meet basic needs and from that point people should try to strive for self actualization and self transcendence as according to Maslow ( pronounced MASH LAO). So Omar's view is that wealth and poverty are mere illusions that need to be ignored, for the human ignorance of clinging to material wealth is what causes so great misery, and that te American Dream is just wishful thinking that results from assuming material wealth gives people happiness, and for that I shall give only one word: IGNOMINOUS  

Citation: 

Cramer, Reid, and Stuart Butler. "Wealth Inequality in America: Two Views." Spotlight on Poverty and Oppurtunity. Spotlight, 15 Mar. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spotlightonpoverty.org%2Fexclusivecommentary.aspx%3Fid%3Dbbded7bd-f034-49a6-9813-0f2b29fe8d6a>.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Ich esse einen Apfel........deutschen brot......dusseldorf........

#1:As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

  • The sentence appears to be a run on due to its lack of a comma between the dependent and independent clause; this choice enhances the message carried in a manner that favors a more awesome introduction, since it tries to let the sentence flow freely without the hindrance of punctuation.
  • The choice of beginning with the dependent clause, "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams," emphasizes that his transformation emerged from an otherwise normal event, which ,surprisingly, is Samsa waking up from nightmares, or rather dreams that conflict with his superego, thus causing a feel of uneasiness.
  • Using "he found himself transformed," rather than, for example, "he realized," sets a tone of detachment , since the word choice separates Samsa's consciousness of his body and condition from himself, as if he is an outside observer.
  • The usage of "gigantic," is surely interesting when compared to other translations of the original german word "ungeheuren", since it only gives a denotation with an almost identical connotation, since it only portrays a word that appeals to only a physical aspect, rather than a personality characteristic like that given from the word "monstrous."


#2:Gregory Samsa woke from uneasy dreams one morning to find himself changed into a giant bug.

  • The sentence structure is written in a manner that gives off an informative tone, and this is especially clear since the author seems to be trying to explain to the reader why this certain morning would be different that the previous ones; this is shown by his using of "only," to show the surprise of the outcome of what happened to Samsa.
  • The fact that "one morning" isn't surrounded by commas from both sides emphasizes the authors straightforward manner to convey the sentence without any pauses. The syntax also seems to support the feel of the entire novel, which tells of the absurdity Samsa faces after becoming a bug; this is evident in the accusatory sound of the sentence, which is written in a manner that seems to state that Samsa did everything he was supposed to do, normally, but then became a bug unjustly.
  • The word choice of "to find himself," is still prominent in this translation which, as with the previous one separates Samsa from his physical body, and likens him to that of an observing stranger.
  • The usage of the word "giant," and "uneasy" both are simplistic in a way that reveals a meaning no deeper than the denotation of the words, unless uneasy is interpreted as a sort of internal conflict within Samsa's mind.

#3:When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning he found he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug.

  • The choice to begin the sentence with a dependent clause, gives a rushed or immediate feeling to the sentence and it also makes it seem like a cause and effect way of storytelling.
  • In terms of the syntax, the lack of punctuation is evident , since no commas are surround "one morning," and also the dependent and independent clause were not separated by any sort of punctuation; this choice seems to add to the intrigue of the first sentence, since the lack of pauses attracts the reader forcefully by showing them the effect of a past action.
  • The usage of "troubled dreams" emphasizes a previously unprecedented point, in which the dreams themselves are characterized , not their effects the on Samsa, thus considering such a thought makes it seem that it was the state that his dreams were in made him wake up, thus his concern is that of sympathy, since the dreams are considered as separate entities in this translation.
  • The using of "enormous" as a descriptor, has a more elaborate connotation than the words used in the previous translation in that it can refer to not only the physical size of the bug, but also to it's effect on tone since enormous carries a sense of something overwhelming, in size and burden of will power.


#4:One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin.

  • In terms of syntax, it is worded in a manner opposite to the other previous translations, in that possesses an excess of commas, such an effect can create scene where the specifics of the situation are being built up slowly as the words are given, thus clarification increases after each pause made.
  • The use of "agitated dreams" is similar to that of the previous translation in that the dreams are themselves separately personified, thus making their effect an outside one.
  • The use of "monstrous vermin" is intriguing in that the creature bieng described, is now being generalized into a category based on human emotion, which in this case is hatred, rather than being a specified species. This alienated the thing which he became and made it more unknown and doubtful, thus it supports the usage of monstrous as an adjective rather than gigantic, in which monstrous gives an immediate sense of fear and disapproval, before it becomes a apparent to the reader that monstrous also refers to the size of the creature, thus in this case monstrous has many connotations that transcend that of size, into a more personable view.
  • Placing "upon awaking from agitated dreams " in between the clauses of the sentence makes it seem as an irrelevant portion for the sentence, as it only serves as an outside descriptor, or maybe it could have been done for the sake of saying that the condition that Samsa was in is not important, with the reality of his condition being the only thing of relevance.

Overall analysis

The ways that the sentence can be portrayed affects the meaning significantly in more ways than one. Firstly the usage of diction can disassociate certain aspects of Samsa that are a part of him, and the making Samsa seem as a sort of victim to some sort of transgression. The sentence structure and syntax affect the meaning through the initial effect that the sentence has on the reader, thus the less punctuation the more quickly and immediately the sentence will strike the reader, yet with more punctuational regulation the sentence builds up the atmosphere slowly. Also whether the sentence comes in a form of an accusation or a cause and effect portrayal also affects how it is perceived by the readers. All forms are effective in their own manner, but usually diction and syntax are the most important, since in them the many meanings of words and the manner they are portrayed in, respectively, determine the tone and the portrayal of the major concepts in the story, thus using monstrous over gigantic reveals aspects of emotion as well as physical description; and using lots of punctuation to create a variety of pauses allow the story to develop slowly, thus giving the reader time to ponder about that which is presented to him/her.

Since translating texts requires more aspects than grammatical knowledge and vocabulary in a certain language, this exercise explains that the translator needs to understand what the original author wanted to say when they published the work, as well as a true understanding of the book in the original language, for when that is achieved, the translator must try use diction, syntax, and imagery to create the meaning that the original text portrayed rather than the verbatim translation of the text, thus changes in translation reveals, a focus on different aspects of the main story rather than poor translation.Different translations affect the tone since they utilize different diction syntax and imagery, thus using a word like monstrous over gigantic would bring up a tone of doubt or danger, even though both words are variations of the same word in german, the syntax in terms of pauses also changes the tone in which a punctuation free sentence would feel sorry and rushed and show. A tone of normalcy, while many pauses would indicate a tone of suspicion.